Army veteran says district policy should require allegiance beyond elementary school

Nov. 12, 2013

Doug Morrison

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Existing policy

The Pledge of Allegiance or other patriotic activity will be performed each day in elementary classrooms. In secondary schools the Pledge of Allegiance or another patriotic activity will be performed at each assembly of the entire student body. Proposed policy

The Pledge of Allegiance or other patriotic activity will be performed each day in elementary and middle school classrooms. In high schools, the Pledge of Allegiance, Presentation of Colors or another patriotic activity will be performed at each assembly of the entire student body.

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The Sioux Falls School Board will be asked tonight to make reciting the Pledge of Allegiance a daily task for middle school students.

As it is, elementary and middle schools in the Sioux Falls School District recite the Pledge every morning. In high schools, the Pledge or some other patriotic activity takes place only during schoolwide assemblies.

James Boorman, an Army veteran from Sioux Falls, wants the school board to go further and make a daily observance of the U.S. flag a regular part of the school day for all schools.

He’s been lobbying Superintendent Pam Homan to include high schools in the daily recitation, but the policy revision going before the board tonight would continue to limit high school patriotic displays to rare occasions — assemblies that include the entire student body.

“I think any kids should be doing that in this country. I think it gives them a daily appreciation of what this country is about,” Boorman said Monday. “There is no reason whatsoever that high school kids can’t say the Pledge of Allegiance every day.”

School Board President Doug Morrison said the proposed policy is in line with what the high school principals wanted.

“To just say the Pledge of Allegiance every day at that age, it probably wouldn’t have as much meaning maybe as it did at the elementary level,” Morrison said. “They (administrators) felt that they wanted to keep those patriotic recognitions specific to assemblies and things that they have like that, so that they could lift it up a bit more than what it might be in just the classroom.”

Board member Todd Thoelke agrees. He said the flurry of activity that takes place at a high school early in the morning doesn’t lend itself to giving the Pledge the reverence it deserves.

“I think there’s more respect for the flag, and it would mean more, if they’re all together in an assembly. Then they take a breath and do the Pledge that way,” he said.

The same policy requires the American flag be flown each day school is in session, except in weather conditions severe enough to damage the flag. A small flag and standard is furnished for each classroom and must be visible every day.

Tonight is the second reading for the policy revision. That means the board is expected to vote, and any changes would go into effect soon after.